my thoughts on stamps, stamp collecting, philately in general and maybe a few other topics !

Friday, September 18, 2009

from Royal Mail website

Hello, tonight I was browsing the Royal Mail website.

Not being up to date on issues I thought I'd have a look. Did not find what I was looking for but then am I surprised.. No I don't think so.

I did notice that the High value definitives (£1, £1.50, £2, £3, £5) are now available in self adhesive sheets of 10 and 50. deerrgghh, who is going to collect those I wonder, let alone who is ever going to see one of the stamps used on a "parcel". If anyone sends me anything requiring high value postage cost the first thing the Post Office do is print a sticky label.. not collectable as a stamp in my humble view.. so why are Royal Mail issuing these self adhesive high values??? maybe these stamps have been around for ages.. what do I know, except I don't have any, wish I did as my collection is now far from complete, but my bank balance is a lot better off :-)

still I do like the stamps and I would enjoy having these in my collection, mint and used :-)

Anyone got any used - I would really like to hear from you, or can you trade? email me at cddstamps@gmail.com

7 Comments:

See http://norphil.blogspot.com/2009/02/new-definitives-with-security-features.html They were issued on 17 February along with all the other 'security feature' Machins.

Of course I've been using them when I can on some overseas mailings, though the £5 is difficult, and I also used them on covers that had the Golden Horizon label on, to reduce the extra to pay to get that label (as I already had paid for the stamps!).

They are also available at PO counters, British Forces POs which don't have access to the Horizon label system, so there is plenty of opportunity.

No I haven't got any used ones spare - it's a bit early for kiloware to show them yet.

Re: Sticky labelsYou have to start the conversation at the postal counter with "I do not want one of those labels, I am using stamps". Then you have to keep a weather eye out as they are 50% likely to print one out anyway. I have made them take one off a parcel.I had just purchased several of the $16.45 and $4.95 issues and the drone behind the counter had it half on when I shouted "Stop!!! What do you think I just bought all these damm stamps for ???"I had several parcels ready to be mailed to my sons both of whom are in the US Military and off half a world away. I am off to the local Post Office right now to send another small box that I think will cost $30.00 or so.Did I ever tell you that all my children are trained to trim the paper of the wrapping around the stamps and send it to me for cleaning and collecting ?

Post Office Ltd representative told me that the new stamps were distributed to all POs for the day of issue (17 Feb 2009), though some may not have seen the low vaues as new.

And we know that some sub-postmasters leave in their safes special stamps which they don't want to acknowledge that they've got, because it means they can send them back on recall, without opening them.

The HVs should certainly be available at all Crown offices and if they are not you should ask them to get them (out of the safe if necessary).

There is an old saying in the retail trades; "You can't make a profit selling from an empty shelf ... ".The post office here seems to have been doing its best to disprove that rule, but judging from their deficit I'd say that they have failed in their effort..